Critz Farms Brewing and Cider Offers the Best of Both Worlds #visitcny

Greetings, Great Beer Now fans and followers! This is the third entry in a multi- part series of blog posts relating to the Great Beer Now Country Bales and Autumn Ales Beer Tour 2018, which took place in west central New York. I made my way from Syracuse to Binghamton and back, stopping along the way to visit some of the best breweries, wineries, and distilleries the area has to offer. Grab a beer and follow along on my journey through this scenic section of New York State. Cheers!

Visiting the country is something to which I often look forward. Here at Great Beer Now, our days are spent surrounded by millions of people in the greater Houston metropolitan area, so any opportunity to get away from the crowds is a welcome one, indeed. The opportunity to see fall foliage is also a nice addition and these reasons, among many others, made me anticipate highly my visit to Critz Farms Brewing and Cider Co., located at 3232 Rippleton Rd in Cazenovia, New York.

Down on the Farm

Critz Farms Brewing & Cider Co. is a family owned business that caters to families. Established in 1985, Critz Farms covers a large area in rural Central New York and comes complete with a tasting room, brewhouse, and cider mill as expected. There is also a corn maze and seasonal attractions like a pumpkin patch, Christmas tree farm, and more.

Critz Farms is unique in that it grows much of the raw ingredients on site that are used in its beer and cider. The farm produces apples, barley, and hops as well as blueberries, strawberries, and other items often used in the flavoring of the beer and cider. They even have play areas for kids, hay rides, live music, animals, and many other attractions/features to keep the entire family happy.

Beer for You and Cider, Too

Critz Farms Brewing & Cidery offers double the fun, with beer and cider brewed on site. Here is a listing of the beers and cider I tried, listed alphabetically by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a five point scale:

• Blueberry Moon, Fruit Cider, 4
• Burning Shore Amber Ale, American Amber, 3.75
• The Eleven IPA, American IPA, 3.75
• Honey Blonde, Blonde Ale, 3.75
• Ice, American cider, 5
• Maple Moon, Maple Cider, 4
• Never Get Out of This Haze, New England IPA, 4.25
• Red Barn Raspberry Cider, American cider, 3.75
• Wild Pig, American Porter, 3.75

Average Rating: 4.00

Critz Farms has some good things going on in its tasting room. Among the beers, I enjoyed the Never Get Out of this Haze the most but the real standout in the crowd was the Ice cider. It was crisp, fruity, and oh- so- wonderful, like no other cider I have tasted before.

Family Fun in the Country

Critz Farms Brewing & Cider Co. is a tourist destination of sorts here in the Central New York region. It is one of dozens of breweries that call this area known as Brew Central home and one of only a handful of establishments in the United States that has a brewhouse and cider mill onsite, providing guests an unforgettable, best of both worlds experience.

I visited Critz Farms Brewing & Cider Co. on a Saturday afternoon and due to the less than desirable weather conditions on this fall season day, the establishment was less crowded than usual. In fact, when I entered the tasting room and conversed with the personnel, one of the things they pointed out, more than once, was the fact that it wasn’t very busy. This was certainly a plus for my wife and I, as the lighter crowds meant more elbow room and more opportunities to chat with Critz Farms employees about the beer, cider, history, etc.

What I found most impressive about Critz Farms Brewing & Cider Co. is the size of the place and its many offerings. The farm covers 325 acres of land and if my high school math serves me correctly, that works out to over half a square mile of space. You don’t find many breweries with a footprint this large and trust me when I say that they put all of the space to good use. The multitude of attractions includes several that are designed for families and many of them are seasonal in nature. Since I visited in the fall, I was treated to a large pumpkin patch and I could see the Christmas tree farm area with pine trees nearing their six/seven foot height phase, just right for cutting down, taking home, and decorating.

I took a tour of the brewery and cider mill when I visited and Patrick, one of the employees, was ever gracious in his accommodations, filling me in on the history of Critz Farms and even agreeing to let me take a video (see my You Tube Channel for this) of him as he patiently answered questions. I then made my way back to the tasting area where I sampled beer and cider. I liked what I tried and I was particularly impressed by the Ice cider, which was one of the best I ever tried.

Critz Farms Brewing & Cider Co. is located about 4 miles south of Cazenovia and about a half hour southeast of Syracuse. It’s a cool place for outdoor entertainment and perfect for a family getaway so be sure to visit Critz Farms the next time you’re in the west Central New York area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.